AirDrop Alternatives for Windows and Android

Q. Is there an equivalent of AirDrop for Windows computers and Android phones?

A. The newest version of Apple’s built-in AirDrop technology requires late-model Macs running OS X Yosemite and devices running at least iOS 7 to directly share files between computer and gadget. But if you use a Windows PC with an Android or iOS phone, you have other ways to move files between machines. Note that some apps may work better than others on certain platforms, and keep the security of your devices in mind when using any file-transfer method, especially one that does not connect your two devices directly.

SHAREit, a free program by the computer maker Lenovo, allows Windows, Windows Phone, Android and iOS systems to transfer files by connecting directly to each other with their Wi-Fi radios. More information and download links for the program are at shareitnow.businesscatalyst.com.

Another option, Filedrop, lets you use a Wi-Fi connection to transfer files between Windows and Mac computers, and Android and iOS devices.

AirDroid is an app that lets you manage the contents of your Android phone with your computer’s browser. In addition to third-party transfer apps, cloud-storage services like Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive can also share files between computers and mobile devices with a little detour through the cloud.

Making Yosemite More Solid

Q.I don’t like the way you can see the desktop background through windows and menus in the new OS X Yosemite system because the effect is too visually distracting. Is there a way to change this?

A. If you find the translucent look of windows and menus in OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) to be bothersome, you can turn it off. Just go to the Apple menu and select System Preferences, or click the gray System Preferences icon in the Mac’s Dock.

When the System Preferences box opens, click the Accessibility icon. Select the Display icon on the left side of the preferences window and turn on the checkbox next to “Reduce transparency.” Close the System Preferences box. If you do not see an immediate result, restart the Mac.

TIP OF THE WEEK Using a desktop shortcut to open a program on a Windows 7 system is faster than digging around for it in the All Programs menu, but you can also go mouse-free and open a program by pressing a keyboard shortcut. To do so, first find the original program file you want to use and make a shortcut for it by right-clicking its icon and choosing Create Shortcut.

Next, right-click the new shortcut file, select Properties from the contextual menu and click the Shortcut tab. Click in the Shortcut key box. Keyboard shortcuts use the Control and Alt keys, so choose an additional key for the new shortcut. For example, if you want to open Microsoft Word, choose W — and the full shortcut to press would be Control-Alt-W. Note that existing keyboard shortcuts in the program you have open may override your new one. Click the OK button when finished and type in an administrator password if prompted.

You can make keyboard shortcuts for desktop programs in Windows 8.1, too. Move the mouse to the screen’s lower-right corner and move the cursor up to summon the Search function. Type in the name of the app you want to use. When it appears in the search results, right-click it and choose Open File Location. When the folder pops up, right-click the app, choose Properties and click the Shortcuts tab. As with Windows 7, click in the Shortcut key, choose your key combination and click the OK button. J.D. BIERSDORFER

Personal Tech invites questions about computer-based technology to QandA@nytimes.com. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually.